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Hazardous Materials Response Team 800 |
{Hazmat Team} |
The Westmoreland County Hazardous Materials Response Team 800 was organized in 1980 as a volunteer group comprising of 15-members, from local fire departments within the County and paid sector of the County, due to the number of Haz-Mat incidents and to take some of the operating burden off the County Fire Departments. The Team is under the Jurisdiction of the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety.
We now consist of a total of 62-members certified at the Technician Level and 20-Specialist members (including chemists, environmental, explosives, communications, radiological experts - to name a few). The team is volunteer organization and Certified by PEMA, with an Administrator, Chief, 6-Assistant Chiefs, 3-Deputy Chiefs, Captain and 2-Lietenants.
The Westmoreland County Hazardous Materials Team 800 has a new home at 108 Vannear Ave, in the City of Greensburg, PA. Dedication was December 28, 1995 and was dedicated to John R. "Jack" Fisher, Administrator/Assistant Chief of Team 800. Jack died in the line of duty on 28 September 1995.
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{Team 800}
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The Building is of fluted block and Steel panel construction 75' long x 55' wide x 20' high with 18'x14' garage doors and pull-thru truck room with where the Team's Rescue 800, Hazard 800 and Command Post 800 are housed. |
Prior to this building being built, Team 800's equipment was kept at different locations throughout the area - making maintenance, cleaning and response difficult. Rescue 800 was kept at Greensburg Fire Department #1, Command Post 800 was kept at Station 24 in Southwest Greensburg and the Utility 800 was kept at the County Courthouse.
The building also has a Chief's Office, lounge/training room, and full shower/restroom facilities. An upstairs loft is a storage area for bulk supplies and general storage.
In December 1998, Hazard 800, a 1998 Ford F800 Roolup Truck, replaced a 1972 stepvan used as a Utility truck. This truck is equipped with a WINCO 25KW PTO driven generator, WILL_BURT NS 15,900 Night Scan light tower and 2-Hanney electric 100' rewind cord reels with lighted junction boxes. Hazard 800 handles bulk supplies extra materials and is primary truck for hydrocarbon type spills.
The primary chemical is a 1985 Volvo/White RSI with integrated pump & roll foam system with 250-gal water and 80-gal foam on board and all of our Level equipment.
Along with the above two vehicles, a 1994 Coachman 30' Motorhome Mobile Command Post with complete communications, weather station, computer system, reference materials, and air sampling equipment, etc., moves on all HMRT 800 calls.
To round out the fleet for HMRT 800, a 1991 Suburban Chief's Vehicle equipped with a series of monitoring devices and communications responds along with 1990 Suburban HAZMAT Coordinator equipped with communications and modicum of supplies.
Team 800 holds quarterly meetings - last Thursday in January, April, July & October. Training/drills are held monthly with one drill involving a SARA Facility each quarter throughout the year.
To visit our new Website (click here)
